Has anyone over 60 been successful in losing 2 stone?

[lolly792]

I'm becoming so disheartened. I was quite slim up to having children in my 30s, but in the subsequent decades just gradually put on weight. I've turned 60 and decided to go for it and lose the 2 stone I need to get me back to 'me.' But I'm losing hope. I don't follow a specific diet because this is more about healthy eating, cutting calories and exercise. I know I'm eating less, I'm moving more but progress is so slow. I feel like I instantly get a lot heavier if I have even one day of not being careful

I'd appreciate any success stories from over 60s who've managed to lose a few stone since turning 60 and kept it off. Did you follow any particular regime? And how long did it take?

Bumpy-bump because I’m interested in any answers too.

I go to slimming world. I’ve lost nearly two stone and I’m in that age group. A lot of the long term goal members have lost a lot of weight, including a lady who is in her early eighties and lost 4 stone a couple of years ago

Yes, me. At the age of 68 I adopted a low carb way of eating. Partly because I got painful bloating (due to IBS), and I was almost pre-diabetic. I gradually lost two stone over about a year, from 11 stone 3, to 9 stone 3. I’m a few pounds heavier now, but it was the best thing I ever did.

It does take discipline, but you lose your sweet tooth quickly, and done properly you shouldn’t need to snack. There is a Low Carb board on Mumsnet, which might be helpful.

I gave up mainly wheat, so no bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, pastry. If you give up those foods 5-6 days a week, you will lose weight. This will also cut down on the amount of saturated fat and sugar you consume. It's a slow journey but it worked for me. Lots of people have success with the 5:2 diet but I couldn't do it. Find alternatives to sandwiches/toast and always have enough food in that you can eat. I start eating badly when I haven't planned in advance e.g. having cheese on toast instead of tuna salad. I hope you find a way to make it work for you.

I gave up alcohol and as a consequence also the need for late night snack disappeared. I lost 3 stone.

My mum and dad do SW, 60 & 67. Both lost a lot of weight and are still maintaining the loss.

I lost 10kg over a couple of years in my 60s just cutting down portion size, and another 6 kg in the last year. My DH has lost 15 kg in the last year and a half similarly just cutting down. It's just consistently eating less.

4 stone to lose. Have lost 9lb since Easter so 3 1/2 left to go. It's been small changes really and not being on a 'diet'.
Cut out crisps, sugary snacks, fizzy drinks (even diet ones). What has really helped is a massive breakfast. Toasted sausage sandwich and hash browns, for example. I know this sounds counterintuitive but it's working for me. Never used to eat much of anything and would end up snacking on crap. Now I have my crap for breakfast to satisfy my need for the unhealthy stuff and I'm not hungry until about 1 and then I'll just have some fruit. I'll have a banana and a few Brazil nuts before I leave work so I'm not tempted to snack on the way home. We do actually cook healthy evening meals so the usual things but slightly smaller portions. Plain chocolate rice cakes for when I need chocolate. I still eat chips once or twice a month but not as many and they're proper homemade ones not the abomination that is the oven chip. If I'm going to eat chips they have to be worth my while.
Walking down stairs more at work which, at our age, is more beneficial to the knees than walking upstairs. Park in the remotest corners of car parks at work and the supermarket. Trying to use the car less for ridiculously small journeys.
I also stopped weighing myself. It helped that the battery was dying in the scales so I wasn't able to weigh myself for a while and I got a pleasant surprise when I saw I'd lost 5lbs without feeling as though I'm on a diet. 😀
I don't know if any of this is any use to you. Good luck!

I will be 70 in 2 weeks.
I have lost 4 stone in 2 years at Slimming World without much difficulty.

Lost 2 half stone hardest thing I’ve ever done. 16 years continuous on steriods underactive thyroid too did it at age 65 I’m 67 years old now, no gym just walking miles each week low carb still having bit of cake when fancy, non smoker non drinker just a determined person that wants to help health out feel better for it. And now is the best time to start light nights and all that, I got Apple Watch kept track of the miles I walked drunk water too, ( never used to, ) go for it once the weight came down and the inches kept me going I took pics along the way too. All helps

Sorry meant to say took 7 months so not quick fix

@NanTheWiser hello, how are you? I remember you from a few years back here and on g'net too. I've had different usernames. I had been recently diagnosed with GORD and was looking for advice on losing weight and omaprazole use long term.

You gave me very sensible advice which I'm sorry to say I didn't always follow and ayear ago I ended up in hospital with appendicitis and also diverticulitis. I'm still trying to sort my weight and health out

I've looked for you a few times to see how you are and to read your sensible comments

I'm not over 60 (57), but I lost a stone over 7 weeks Jam/Feb this year. Intermittent fasting and Fast 800. Keeping it off by trying to avoid bread, rice and pasta but not restricting it too much. Also a combination of HIIT and weights classes 4-6 times a week.

You can definitely do it!

I lost 5 stone when I was in my late 50s and it took the best part of a year, calorie counting. Not giving up everything but did limit sweet things.

I lost two stone on Orlistat.

It took me 2 years to lose two and a half, nearly three stone. I had my 70th birthday in the middle somewhere. Two stone plus has stayed off despite some very challenging life events. I did it with Our Path (now Second Nature) and it needed a total change of mindset, to becoming healthy rather than losing weight.

I notice from your post that you say it's more about healthy eating, but you go on to say that you get disheartened if you put on weight after one day of not being careful. Second Nature helped me realise that it's not about being careful, it's about treating yourself to delicious healthy food and trusting that if you do that more often than not, weight loss will follow. Against most advice, I weighed myself daily, not to see how I was doing but to understand how my weight fluctuated in response to my hormones and what I'd happened to eat the day before. There were lots of ups and downs on the way but I learned to see these as normal, the overall trend was definitely downwards. Good luck.

Well hello! I don’t recognize your new name, but probably would your GN name. Sorry to hear about your hospital stay, and hope you are on the mend now. Like you, I also have GORD, and diverticulosis, and pretty sure I have a hiatus hernia too, so lots of problems gut-wise. It seems to go with the territory for we older ladies, doesn’t it! Thanks for the compliment!

I'm nearly 60 and, after a diagnosis of pre-diabetes and high cholesterol, I have cut all cakes, biscuits, crisps, chocolate, etc. out of my diet. I've lost about 8lbs in 8 weeks, so far (and am feeling very good).

I'm also making sure I walk every day.

I stopped smoking at 60 and gained 2 stone, having already gained weight at menopause. I went to Weight Watchers and found their diet easy to follow and healthy. I also walked 10,000 steps daily, swam weekly and did an exercise class weekly. I lost 3 stone in 6 months.
I slowly gained nearly a stone again. I dieted again, kept it off and have lost more as my appetite is less than it was.

Yes I've just lost just over two stone (and a few more to go) in 11 weeks.
Calorie counting and eating in a deficit. I weigh and measure everything and track it on My Fitness Pal. I try to keep under my calorie allowance and ignore and exercise calories (as they are generally inaccurate). I also gave up alcohol. Lost about a kilo a week (more initially, less as time went on).
The only additional exercise has been walking .

The month after I turned 60 I needed a minor op with a general anaesthetic. In the prep for that I was told I had high blood pressure and should see my doctor.

I hate doctors and decided to give myself three months to try and tackle the problem on my own with healthier eating.

i cut out most fatty foods, processed sugars and carbs and started eating 10+ portions of fruit, veg and salad a day. I also reduced portion sizes gradually. I didn't count calories because my family has a history of eating disorders and I didn't want to feed into that. I've always exercised and I kept that up.

After 3 months of this style of eating my BP was normal and without even trying I'd dropped a dress size. After 9 months I'd gone from 5ft tall and size 14/16 to size 8/10 and my BP was optimal.

3 years on and I'm still an 8/10 with excellent blood pressure. I' m a bit more relaxed about my food now as it's just maintenance but the principles remain the same. I have a whole new wardrobe of beautiful clothes and have more energy that I did when I was 40.
I had been resigned to being fat after menopause but that was a myth.

I just happened to stumble across your post whilst googling to see if anyone else had lost the same amount of weight as I have in as short a time.

Here is my story, in case it helps motivate you (or anyone else)

I weighed 17 stone 7 (= 248 lbs)

I was having takeaways 3 or 4 times a week, and walking around with untreated very high blood pressure.

On the 18th April this year (good Friday) I was rushed to hospital with a nose bleed I couldn't stop. The whole bathroom looked like a murder scene.

After a few days in hosp, and being put on medication for high blood pressure, I said 'no more'

I now eat only salads for dinner, or weighed out amounts of pasta 125g with onions, garlic and mixed peppers. and a small amount of cereal for breakfast, and fruit and carrots for snacks.

I was told to not do any strenuous exercise until seeing the dr (after blood tests come back next week)

Just with healthy eating, I am now 15 stone 11 = (211.5 lbs)

In just under a month, I have lost close to 2 stone.

My motivation is:-

I never want a repeat of that nosebleed, and I also want to be able to get off blood pressure medication.

My point is, if you want to badly enough, you can lose the weight. Just don't wait until you're forced into doing so!

I forgot to add. I am 60 next Birthday

I'm 63 and I've just lost 5 stone on mounjaro since November. I've been fat for years and this is the only thing that has worked.
I'm on a maintenance dose now.
I can't exercise at all as I've been waiting for and have now had orthopaedic surgery so it was all diet. I plan to go on a course at the gym when I'm better to regain muscle strength.

I was 61 in October last year, and I've managed to lose 29 lbs between the beginning of September last year and the end of March this year. Admittedly,I was using Wegovy weight loss injections!